Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RS475

Incident date

January 27, 2016

Location

الحسينية, Hussainiya, Deir Ezzor, Syria

Geolocation

35.35905, 40.15113 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Nine to 12 civilians including up to six women and four children were killed and ten others injured in alleged Russian airstrikes on Hussainiya, according to multiple sources.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that Russian aircraft launches two rockets on the town, killing nine non-combatants.

According to Deir Ezzor is Being Silently Slaughtered, Russian warplanes “bombed the house of Hussein al Faraj in the village of Husseiniya ‘Al Shahabat’ near the grain stores killing civilians.

Both the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Shaam News Network put the death toll at 10 – with SOHR saying that this included six women and one child. Syrian News Desk cited local Mohamed Hussein as saying that “the Russian air force targeted areas where civilians were present in the town which led to the deaths, including members of an entire family. Dozens were wounded, some critically, including children. A number of residential houses were destroyed, with material damage to shops.”

Three unnamed children were also found.

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Muhssein Al Faraj
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed
Hussein Al Faraj
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed

Family members (3)

Muri’i Hassan al Ali
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed
Son of Muri’i Hassan al Ali 1
Age unknown male named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed
Son of Muri’i Hassan al Ali 2
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed

The victims were named as:

Fardos Khalifa Al Salman
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed
Fatoom Farhan Khalaf
Age unknown named by Deir Ezzor is being slaughtered silently killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Hussainiya (الحسينية), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.35905, 40.15113. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 12
  • (4–5 children4–6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

Russian Military

In its military report published on 1st February 2016, the Kremlin said: “In the course of the last week, the Russian aircraft in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 468 combat sorties engaging 1354 terrorists’ infrastructural facilities in the Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Raqqah, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. Among them – 24 ones were carried out by Tu-22M3 long-range bombers from the Russian territory…Long-range bomber aviation aircraft supported units of the Syrian governmental troops which defended the city of Deir ez-Zor. The airstrikes carried out by Tu-22M3 bombers from the territory of the Russian Federation jointly with tactical aviation from the Hmeymim airbase, engaged 23 important terrorists’ objects in that district…The attempt of terrorists to assault Deir ez-Zor was frustrated.“

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    9 – 12
  • (4–5 children4–6 women)
  • Civilians reported injured
    10
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]